CASTLETON, Vt. — In a midweek matchup featuring offensive outbursts and season debuts, the Castleton baseball team fell to Middlebury, 18-11, Wednesday afternoon.
The Spartans (9-14) were led at the plate by Kannon Dush and Jackson Cardozo who each went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Tyler McLain collected a pair of base hits as Jared Cafasso walked twice, reached via catcher's interference, and scored two runs. Sammy Steinman, Mikey Raby, and Logan Beebe each earned an RBI by drawing bases-loaded walks.
Joseph Voli started on the mound for Castleton, holding the Panthers (14-6) scoreless for two innings following a five-run first frame. Six different relievers appeared with strong outings coming from Stephen Coffey and Nick Udell. Coffey struck out two in 1.1 innings with no runs allowed as freshman Udell tossed a seven-pitch ninth in his first career game.
With bases loaded in the top of the first with a 2-0 lead, the Panthers brought all runners across on a double but the Spartans' relay from Dush to McLain to Reece de Castro and a swift tag ended the stanza. CU got a run back in the bottom half as Evan Keegan singled, extending his hit streak into double digits, which set up a Cardozo RBI triple.
Both starters kept opposing hitters at bay as the Spartans were first to make a bullpen call with Zack Marlow entering for the fourth inning. Marlow fanned a pair of Panthers and battery mate Addison Schaub caught a runner stealing third base for his third erasure in two days. In the following inning, Middlebury's bats heated up and took advantage of Castleton miscues, drawing four walks with a trio of hits. The brutal sunlight beating on right field allowed a fly ball to find grass, recording a double instead of the frame's second out as the visitors tallied a quartet of runs.
Again the Spartans retaliated, beginning with Dush finding a gap in left center to lead off the fifth with a double. Dush swiped third as a well-placed infield hit by de Castro logged the RBI. The ensuing half-inning saw the Panthers score eight times with seven runs coming via the long ball to make it 17-2. Middlebury tallied seven hits in the stanza – three were home runs, including a three-run and a solo shot which came on back-to-back pitches.
Castleton began the seventh inning with a host of defensive changes which paid off in the offensive half. Cafasso and McLain led off with a walk and a single, respectively, as Cardozo deposited a base hit to right center to plate one. Perkins got plunked, earning a pinch runner as pinch-hitting Sammy Steinman walked for an RBI. Cardozo scored on a wild pitch during Tyler Dubreuil's plate appearance in which he took four balls. Dush sent a screamer down the foul line in left field for a two-RBI single. A catcher's interference and a walk moments later got another run on the board for CU, cutting the score to 17-8.
Middlebury plated its last runner in the eighth thanks to a left-side RBI single just out of a diving Dubreuil's reach. Jack Boyle got on with a walk in the home half, stealing second base soon after. Dubreuil walked as both runners advanced on a wild pitch, getting into position to score on Dylan Hedler's infield single in which the sophomore dropped a softly-hit ball between the second baseman and pitcher. Trey LaVigne drove a sharp single into right field for an RBI, shrinking the deficit to eight.
Udell was flawless for Castleton in the top of the ninth with a swinging K and two groundouts. Cafasso, Raby, and Brandon Ramirez all drew walks to load the bases with no outs. After two Spartans went down on strikes, Beebe earned a free pass to score Cafasso. Middlebury got a strikeout afterward, ending proceedings at 18-11.
The 29-run combined total is tied for the highest scoring mark in a Castleton game this season, matching the 17-12 victory at Guilford on February 22nd.
Returning to Little East Conference play this weekend, the Spartans travel to UMass Dartmouth on Saturday, April 15 for a doubleheader. First pitch of the opening contest is at noon.
